Yellowstone River

The Yellowstone River is a Montana icon — wild, undammed, and spectacularly productive. From its emergence from Yellowstone Lake through the dramatic Paradise Valley between the Absaroka and Gallatin ranges, this river offers a fishing experience unlike any other.

In the park, the Yellowstone supports native cutthroat trout that rise eagerly to dry flies in the meadow stretches between Yellowstone Lake and the Grand Canyon. Outside the park, the river enters Paradise Valley, where it becomes a powerful freestone river holding abundant rainbow and brown trout alongside native cutthroats.

The stretch from Gardiner to Livingston is premier float fishing water. Experienced guides row drift boats through boulder gardens and long riffles, presenting dry flies and nymphs to willing trout. The salmonfly hatch in early July turns this section into a feeding frenzy.

Below Livingston, the Yellowstone widens and warms, but still produces excellent fishing, particularly for large brown trout in fall. The river eventually reaches the Great Plains, where it supports walleye, sauger, and channel catfish — a completely different but equally rewarding fishery.